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PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Sports fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about sports. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

1,766 published reviews in this topic

Factcrescendo Sri LankaSports

Wasim Akram alleged that the performance of the Sri Lanka cricket team in the Asia Cup final match was suspicious !!

Publisher’s rating: False

The claim concerned the 2023 Asia Cup final, in which Sri Lanka lost to India, and attributed to former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram a suspicion that Sri Lanka’s performance was suspicious and possibly arranged through match-fixing. Factcrescendo Sri Lanka says versions of the allegation circulated on social media and were also repeated by some Sri Lankan sports websites. Its investigation addressed whether Akram had actually made the remarks, rather than whether the match itself was fixed. The review reports that it found no record of Akram making such a statement on Star Sports or in another public forum, and that no mainstream media outlet had reported an allegation from him. It also says Akram denied making the statement when the publisher asked him through a Pakistani sports journalist. Separately, the review quotes a post on Akram’s official Facebook account objecting to false news circulating on social media. These findings weigh against the attribution; the excerpt does not present a recording or transcript of the alleged remarks. The review further reports that Pakistani journalists told it the person who first posted the claim had deleted it and said they were joking. It notes that the same wording had also been attributed to other cricketers, but says it found no supporting news reports for those attributions either. Its conclusion is that there is no evidence Akram made the alleged match-fixing statement.

FACTLYSports

Video depicting popular soccer player Kylian Mbappe engaged in a game of soccer alongside a robot

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

FACTLY examined a video shared as authentic footage of Kylian Mbappe playing soccer alongside a robot. Its conclusion was that the visuals do not show that scene: the review says they were digitally altered, with a human substituted by a robot. To investigate, FACTLY reports that it examined the visuals and found a distinct point where the person changes into a robot. A YouTube keyword search also led it to a short video resembling the viral visuals. The review says that video had been posted in June 2022 and had accumulated 137 million views; comparing it with the circulating visuals, FACTLY found them similar and said the video had been digitally manipulated to create the illusion of Mbappe playing with a robot. The review identifies the YouTube video as the original video, but the supplied text does not give its link, creator or further provenance. Its evidence therefore supports the finding that the claimed robot scene was produced through digital manipulation, while leaving those details about the underlying video unspecified.

Factcrescendo Sri LankaSports

A Real Badminton Match Between A Human And A Robot!

Publisher’s rating: Altered

The claim concerned a viral clip said to show a real badminton match between a human and a robot. Fact Crescendo’s review says the clip was altered: the original match was between two human players, and the robot was inserted in place of one of them. The review identifies the source footage as the men’s badminton final at the 2012 London Olympics, featuring China’s Lin Dan and Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei. [S1: “The real match was between two humans, not between a human and a robot.”; “this was the final match of men’s badminton played between Lin Dan from China and Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia.”] To trace the footage, the review points to the Olympic Association and London 2012 logos visible in the background and the Malaysia–China scoreboard. It says a keyword search led to the same match on the Olympics’ official YouTube channel. The review also reports that the viral segment appears between 21:06 and 21:33 in that original-match video. [S1: “The logo of the Olympic Association and London 2012 can be clearly seen in the background. Apart from this, it can also be seen on the points board that the match was between Malaysia and China.”; “A relevant keyword search led us to the same match uploaded on the Olympics’s official YouTube channel.”; “you can see the viral clip from 21.06 minutes to 21.33 minutes.”] As further support for its identification, the review says Lin Dan’s movements in the original footage match those of the robot in the viral version. It concludes that a human player was replaced by a robot using AI; the robot’s apparent play therefore does not establish that the depicted human-versus-robot match actually took place. The review also cites an NDTV account of the Olympic final, which reports that Lin Dan defeated Lee Chong Wei 15–21, 21–10, 21–19. [S1: “the body movement of Lin Dan (Red jersey) is completely similar to the movement of the robot in the viral video.”; “Lin Dan defeated Lee Chong in a breathtaking match 15-21, 21-10, 21-19.”]

FACTLYSports

Rohit Sharma’s poster displayed in India’s new parliament and at the G20 summit

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

The claim concerned a social-media image said to show Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma’s poster displayed in the new Parliament and at the G20 summit as a representation of India’s sporting achievements. FACTLY examined the image itself and the places said to be shown. Its review concludes that the circulating photo was edited, rather than evidence that the poster appeared at either venue. The review describes using reverse-image search to find earlier sharing of the same photograph, including posts identifying the wall as part of the Chepauk Museum in Chennai. It then compared the viral image with a similar image shared by an X user and with video footage of the museum. The review reports that the original frame featured a still of Sunil Gavaskar and Krishnamachari Srikkanth, not Rohit Sharma. The investigation also points to BCCI video of the museum and dressing room at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, commonly known as Chepauk Stadium, and a video on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s official YouTube channel related to a pavilion-stand inauguration. FACTLY says those visuals showed frames of Kapil Dev, M. S. Dhoni, and Sunil Gavaskar, and no frame featuring Rohit Sharma. It further reports no reports of his posters being displayed in Parliament or at the G20 summit for the stated purpose. The review therefore finds the shared image does not establish the claimed display.

Fact Crescendo Sri LankaSports

රෝහිත් ශර්මා විසින් මුදල් ත්‍යාගයක් ක්‍රීඩාංගණයේ සේවක මණ්ඩලයට ලබා දුන් අවස්තාවක් ද?

Publisher’s rating: Misleading

The claim concerned a social-media image said to show India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, handing the ground staff at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium the prize money from India’s win over Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup Super Four match. The review says that match was completed on September 11 after rain interrupted play, and India won by 228 runs. It concludes that the image was edited and that the alleged handover by Sharma did not happen. The review describes several checks: it says it could find no reports or matching image from local or international media, and that Sri Lankan cricket journalists and the tournament’s official local broadcaster, Sirasa TV, told the reviewers no such event had taken place. It also says a reverse-image search traced the circulated picture to a genuine photograph of Sharma and KL Rahul appreciating the ground staff’s work during the rain-affected match; a cheque had been added to that image. Sharma did praise the staff after the match, but that praise does not establish that he gave them his prize money. There were separate, real contributions to the ground staff that help explain the confusion. The review’s later update says that after India won the Asia Cup final on September 17, ACC president Jay Shah announced a USD 50,000 prize for groundsmen and curators in Colombo and Kandy. It also reports that final-match player-of-the-match Mohammed Siraj decided to donate his own USD 5,000 award to the R. Premadasa Stadium staff. Those were distinct from the claimed handover by Rohit Sharma after the India–Pakistan match.

Telugupost FactcheckSports

ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್‌ ಪ್ರಿಯ ನವ ವಿವಾಹಿತ ದಂಪತಿ ಭಾರತ ಮತ್ತು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಪಂದ್ಯವನ್ನು ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿದರು

Publisher’s rating: Misleading

The claim concerns a viral photo presented as showing a newlywed couple who went straight from their wedding to watch the India-Pakistan match at the 2023 Asia Cup. The review says the photo circulated on social media with that interpretation, including in a post by the Kashmir Dispatch newspaper. Its investigation instead identifies the match as Pakistan versus Nepal, played at Multan’s National Stadium. (S1: “ನವ ವಿವಾಹಿತ ದಂಪತಿಯ ಫೋಟೋವೊಂದು ವೈರಲ್‌ ಆಗಿದ್ದು, ಏಷ್ಯಾ ಕಪ್‌ 2023ರಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತ ಮತ್ತು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನ ನಡುವಿನ ರೋಚಕ ಪಂದ್ಯವನ್ನು ನೋಡಲು, ಮದುವೆಯ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಸೀದಾ ಸ್ಟೇಡಿಯಂಗೆ ಬಂದಿದ್ದರು ಎಂದು ಪ್ರತಿಪಾದಿಸಿದೆ.”; “ನವ ವಿವಾಹಿತ ದಂಪತಿಗಳು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನ ಮತ್ತು ನೇಪಾಳದ ನಡುವಿನ ಪಂದ್ಯವನ್ನು ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿದ್ದರು.”) To trace the photo, the review reports using Google reverse image search and finding a YouTube video. It notes that the video appeared before the India-Pakistan match in Pallekele on September 2, and that its title described newlyweds watching Pakistan and Nepal in Multan. The review also says a separate report described Babar Azam fans among newlyweds at Multan’s National Stadium; although that report did not name the teams, the review relates it to the Pakistan-Nepal match played there on August 31. (S1: “ವೈರಲ್‌ ಆಗಿರುವ ಫೋಟೋವನ್ನು ಗೂಗಲ್‌ ರಿವರ್ಸ್ ಇಮೇಜ್‌ ಸರ್ಚ್‌ ಮೂಲಕ ಹುಡುಕಿದಾಗ ಯೂಟ್ಯೂಬ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದ ವಿಡಿಯೋ ಲಿಂಕ್‌ ನಮಗೆ ದೊರೆಯಿತು.”; “ಈ ವಿಡಿಯೋ ಅಡಿ ಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ, ‘ಮುಲ್ತಾನ್‌ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್‌ ಸ್ಟೇಡಿಯಂ ನಡೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನ ಮತ್ತು ನೇಪಾಳ ನಡುವಿನ ರೋಚಕ ಪಂದ್ಯ ನೋಡಲು ಬಂದ ನವ ದಂಪತಿಗಳು’ ಎಂದು ಬರೆಯಲಾಗಿದೆ.”; “ಆಗಸ್ಟ್‌ 31ರಂದು ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನ ಮತ್ತು ನೇಪಾಳ ನಡುವೆ ಪಂದ್ಯ ನಡೆದಿತ್ತು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಗಮನಿಸಬಹುದು.”) The review further cites two YouTube uploads: one dated August 31 and another dated September 1. It says narration in the latter identifies the couple as attending the Pakistan-Nepal match in Multan. Taken together, the review’s account places the couple at that match, not the India-Pakistan match claimed in the viral posts. (S1: “ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್‌ ಇನ್‌ ಬ್ಲಡ್‌ ಎಂಬ ಯೂಟ್ಯೂಬ್‌ ಚಾನೆಲ್‌ ನವದಂಪತಿಗಳ ವಿಡಿಯೋ ತುಣುಕನ್ನು ಆಗಸ್ಟ್‌ 31ರಂದೇ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದೆ.”; “ವಿಡಿಯೋದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆ ಧ್ವನಿಯು ಮುಲ್ತಾನ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನ ಮತ್ತು ನೇಪಾಳ ಪಂದ್ಯ ನೋಡಲು ಬಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂದು ವಿವರಣೆ ನೀಡಿದೆ.”)